Request for urgent stance on seismic testing, offshore oil and gas, and PEP 11
Dear Save Our Coast Directors,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your request for my stance on seismic testing, offshore oil and gas, and PEP11.
As the Candidate for Robertson, I can assure you that the Greens oppose seismic testing in all Australian waters, and most certainly off our beautiful eastern coastline.
Seismic testing creates an unacceptable risk of harm to marine animals and threatens the economic future of the region, impacting on tourism and commercial fishing industries. No level of risk to coastal communities and the marine environment to conduct exploratory seismic testing can be justified.
And more importantly, any new fossil fuel development is manifestly unacceptable as we face a climate emergency. It would slow down the necessary and increasingly urgent transition to renewable energy. We will readily cancel the PEP11 License and cease all exploration for fossil fuels should we have the opportunity after the election.
To respond to Climate Change, the Greens have been doing the solid policy groundwork now over many years to develop a comprehensive and exciting plan for transition to 100% renewable electricity : Renew Australia 2030.
This plan includes provision for those communities and workers who have been engaged in the coal industry. The Greens believe it is the government’s responsibility to ensure these workers are looked after so that no coal power worker has to suffer the anxiety and financial insecurity that comes from losing their job. With a planned transition, workers can be looked after and not simply be subject to the whims of the global market for thermal coal. With a $1 billion Clean Energy Transition Fund, Renew Australia will be tasked with supporting workers to reskill, relocate or transition to retirement, depending on what the personal circumstances require. We will work with industry to seek to ensure that no coal worker is left behind. The fund will also target support at the local communities affected by the transition, prioritising infrastructure investment in those areas and offering economic incentives for investment throughout the local economy.
This is one small aspect of the plan which is available on our website https://greens.org.au/platform/renewables should you wish to study the detail.
I hope this addresses your questions.
Kind Regards,
Cath Connor